Sports briefs for Dec. 12, 2013

PI-Caribou basketball game tickets on sale

PRESQUE ISLE — Tickets for the Caribou at Presque Isle boys basketball game scheduled for Wednesday, Jan. 8, are now on sale at the Presque Isle High School athletics office. Caribou fans may purchase tickets at the Caribou High School athletics office. Tickets are $4 for adults and $2 for students, and both schools strongly encourage fans to purchase tickets before Jan. 8.

Presque Isle season ticket holders do not need to pre-buy tickets but are encouraged to arrive early on game night.

Lions’ Bush expects to play against Ravens

Detroit Lions running back Reggie Bush said he will return to practice on Friday and be ready to play Monday night against the Baltimore Ravens.

Bush injured his calf just before last week’s game against the Philadelphia Eagles and went back to the locker room to try to warm up, but wound up not playing.

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Bush did not return to practice with the rest of his teammates Thursday.

“It was more precautionary,” Bush said after practice. “That’s really all I can tell you.”

Knicks PG Felton out 2-3 weeks

New York Knicks point guard Raymond Felton will be out two to three weeks with a strained left hamstring, the team announced Thursday.

Multiple media outlets reported the Knicks are now talking with the Toronto Raptors about getting Kyle Lowry, who became available when the Raptors picked up Greivis Vasquez in the Rudy Gay trade.

For now, Pablo Prigioni is expected to start in place of Felton.

Felton is averaging 10.3 points and 5.2 assists in 32 minutes this season while shooting 39 percent from the field.

Tigers sign reliever Chamberlain

The contract is for one year at $2.5 million plus incentives, according to CBSSports.com.

The 28-year-old Chamberlain had a 4.93 ERA in 42 relief innings for the New York Yankees last season. For his career, he owns a 3.51 ERA out of the bullpen.

Chamberlain missed a month last season because of an abdominal strain, underwent Tommy John surgery in June 2011 and then suffered a serious ankle dislocation in March of 2012.

James edging Durant after first All-Star Ballot returns

LeBron James of the Miami Heat and Paul George of the Indiana Pacers top the Eastern Conference, while Kevin Durant of the Oklahoma City Thunder and Kobe Bryant of the Los Angeles Lakers lead the Western Conference after the first returns of the NBA All-Star balloting.

James, the reigning NBA MVP and finals MVP, is the overall leader with 609,336 votes, while Durant is second with 607,407 votes.

The 63rd NBA All-Star Game will be in New Orleans on Sunday, Feb. 16.

James, George (489,335) and the New York Knicks’ Carmelo Anthony (424,211) pace the Eastern Conference’s frontcourt players. The Heat’s Dwyane Wade (396,279) is the East’s leading vote-getter in the backcourt, followed by the Cleveland Cavaliers’ Kyrie Irving (365,712).

Durant, the NBA’s leading scorer at 28.4 points per game, is joined in the frontcourt in the West by the Houston Rockets’ Dwight Howard (295,120) and the Los Angeles Clippers’ Blake Griffin (292,925). Bryant (501,215) and the Clippers’ Chris Paul (393,313) pace all Western Conference backcourt players.